1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a CAD (Computer Aided Design) supporting apparatus for supporting an assembling of an assembly by a CAD for assembling on data an assembly constituted of a plurality of components, which creates a geometry of objects, in cooperation with the CAD, and a CAD supporting program storage medium storing a CAD supporting program, when executed in a computer, which causes the computer to operate as the CAD supporting apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, to design various types of devices and apparatuses, instead of drawing of a plan on a paper by a designer, there is widely adopted, for example, a design technology that a CAD, which is constructed in a computer, is used to form a geometry of objects on data, so that an assembly (components constituting a device or a part of the device) constituted of a plurality of objects is set up on data. An adoption of the CAD makes it easy to perform a design and a modification of the design, and it is possible to remarkably reduce a developing term and a developing cost.
The CAD performs a control of various attributes on respective components as well as creation and modification of a geometry of components.
For example, with respect to a display, there is performed a control of a display attribute such as providing xe2x80x9cdisplayxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cmaximum external form displayxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cnon-displayxe2x80x9d for each component, in such a manner that to make a rough consideration for size and layout of a certain component, the maximum external form is displayed with a block with which the component is inscribed instead of a minute outline display, or to avoid a troublesomeness of observation due to display of a number of components, a non-display is provided for a certain component.
Further, there is performed a control of various attributes on components, such as a management of the progress situation of a design of each of the components of an assembly on a CAD, and an alarm of informing that a design of a certain component is not yet completed.
The CAD performs the above-mentioned various attribute controls. For example, when it is intended that the xe2x80x9cdisplayxe2x80x9d of displaying for a certain component is changed to the xe2x80x9cnon-displayxe2x80x9d of erasing it from the screen, data of the assembly including the component is read to change attribute data of the xe2x80x9cdisplayxe2x80x9d and the xe2x80x9cnon-displayxe2x80x9d as to the noticed component, of the data thus read, from the xe2x80x9cdisplayxe2x80x9d to the xe2x80x9cnon-displayxe2x80x9d. This is similar in a situation that it is intended to provide such a set up that data of a certain component is not outputted to the exterior. Data of the assembly including the component is read to rewrite attribute data of the noticed component.
By the way, it takes a long time to read assembly data. Specifically, to read data of an assembly composed of components of 1000 points or so for instance, the general CAD takes about one hour. For this reason, in some operating procedure of the CAD, it takes one hour to change the xe2x80x9cdisplayxe2x80x9d to the xe2x80x9cnon-displayxe2x80x9d with respect to one component. This brings about the possibility that efficiency of a design work using the CAD is extremely deteriorated.
In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide a CAD supporting apparatus for supporting a set-up of an assembly by a CAD for establishing on data an assembly constituted of a plurality of components, which creates a geometry of objects, in cooperation with the CAD, so that a design work using the CAD can be effectively performed, and a CAD supporting program storage medium storing a CAD supporting program, when executed in a computer, which causes the computer to operate as the CAD supporting apparatus.
To achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a first CAD supporting apparatus for supporting an assembling of an assembly by a CAD for assembling an assembly constituted of a plurality of components, which creates a geometry of objects, in cooperation with the CAD, said CAD supporting apparatus comprising:
a data separating section for separating, upon receipt of CAD data representative of an assembly, which has a format suitable for being dealt with the CAD, from the CAD, the CAD data into structure data representative of a structure of the assembly, geometry data representative of a geometry of components constituting the assembly, and position data representative of a position of components on the assembly;
an attribute set up section for setting up an attribute onto data separated by said data separating section in accordance with the operation; and
a CAD data reconstruction section for creating CAD data representative of an assembly, which has a format suitable for being dealt with in the CAD, from data separated by said data separating section and reflecting the attribute set up by said attribute set up section, and for transmitting the CAD data created to the CAD.
In the first CAD supporting apparatus according to the present invention as mentioned above, it is acceptable that said attribute set up section sets up in accordance with the operation at least a display attribute representative of display or non-display of components, a confidentiality attribute representative of permission or prohibition of output of components data, and information attribute representative of progress situation of a creation of the components.
As mentioned above, to read data for an assembly consisting of 1000 points or so of components for example, it takes a so long of time for example 1 hour or so. In this case, it takes about 98% time for reading geometry data representative of a geometry of components.
The feature of the first CAD supporting apparatus according to the present invention as mentioned above makes it extremely easy to perform set up and alteration of various types of attribute, and thereby greatly contributing to making efficiency of a design work using a CAD.
In the first CAD supporting apparatus according to the present invention as mentioned above, it is preferable that said CAD data reconstruction section has a function in which of the structure data, the geometry data, and the position data, the structure data and the position data excepting the geometry data are converted into CAD data suitable for another CAD which deals with CAD data different in data format from the CAD data dealt with in said CAD.
It is usual that there exist various types of CAD and they are not compatible with one another. Particularly, with respect to the geometry data, not only a data format is different between the types of CAD, but also contents of data are different between the types of CAD, and thus it is difficult to transfer data between different types of CAD.
On the other hand, with respect to the structure data and the position data, contents of data are basically identical between the different types of CAD per se, while different in data format.
According to the first CAD supporting apparatus of the present invention as mentioned above, the data is separated into the structure data, the geometry data and the position data. This feature makes it possible to transform the structure data and the position data to CAD data suitable for another CAD. It is to be noted that what is transmitted between a plurality of CAD""s is mainly the structure data and the position data. Consequently, in the event that there is provided such a construction that only the structure data and the position data are received and transmitted, with respect to the geometry data, the use of one""s own geometry data of the CAD data makes it possible to perform a design work on a share basis by mutually different types of CAD""s.
In the CAD supporting apparatus according to the present invention as mentioned above, it is preferable that said attribute set up section sets up in accordance with the operation the confidentiality attribute representative of permission or prohibition of output of components data, and
said CAD data reconstruction section creates CAD data in which data associated with components involved in an instruction of the prohibition of output of components data by said attribute set up section is deleted.
According to such an arrangement, in transmission of data to for example, a customer or client, or a business connection, for the purpose of keeping a secret, it is possible to prevent data from being transmitted with respect to a certain component.
To achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a second CAD supporting apparatus for supporting an assembling of an assembly by a CAD for assembling an assembly constituted of a plurality of components, which creates a geometry of objects, in cooperation with the CAD, said CAD supporting apparatus comprising:
a text data obtaining section for obtaining text data describing a structure of the assembly; and
a CAD creating section for interpreting the text data obtained by said text data obtaining section, and referring to a database 30 that stores geometry data representative of a geometry of components, to create CAD data of a format suitable for being dealt with in the CAD in accordance with the text data.
According to the conventional CAD, to assemble an assembly, components are read one by one from a database in accordance with an operation of an operator, and regarding components, which do not exist in the database, the components are made up one by one. To the contrary, according to the second CAD supporting apparatus, a description of the specification of an assembly in form of a text makes it possible to create CAD data, excepting a portion that is necessary to be newly created, which does not exist in the database, while referring to the database. Accordingly, it is unnecessary for an operator to read components one by one from the database, and it is effective to start from a work for creating a new component. Thus it is possible to greatly improve the design work using the CAD.
To achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a first CAD supporting program storage medium storing a CAD supporting program which causes a computer to operate as a CAD supporting apparatus for supporting an assembling of an assembly by a CAD for assembling an assembly constituted of a plurality of components, which creates a geometry of objects, in cooperation with the CAD, when the CAD supporting program is executed in the computer, wherein said CAD supporting program storage medium stores the CAD supporting program comprising:
a data separating section for separating, upon receipt of CAD data representative of an assembly, which has a format suitable for being dealt with the CAD, from the CAD, the CAD data into structure data representative of a structure of the assembly, geometry data representative of a geometry of components constituting the assembly, and position data representative of a position of components on the assembly;
an attribute set up section for setting up an attribute onto data separated by said data separating section in accordance with the operation; and
a CAD data reconstruction section for creating CAD data representative of an assembly, which has a format suitable for being dealt with in the CAD, from data separated by said data separating section and reflecting the attribute set up by said attribute set up section, and for transmitting the CAD data created to the CAD.
In the first CAD supporting program storage medium according to the present invention as mentioned above, it is acceptable that said attribute set up section sets up in accordance with the operation at least a display attribute representative of display or non-display of components, a confidentiality attribute representative of permission or prohibition of output of components data, and information attribute representative of progress situation of a creation of the components.
In first CAD supporting program storage medium according to the present invention as mentioned above, it is preferable that said CAD data reconstruction section has a function in which the structure data, the geometry data, and the position data are converted into CAD data suitable for another CAD which deals with CAD data different in data format from the CAD data dealt with in said CAD.
In first CAD supporting program storage medium according to the present invention as mentioned above, it is preferable that said attribute set up section sets up in accordance with the operation the confidentiality attribute representative of permission or prohibition of output of components data, and
said CAD data reconstruction section creates CAD data in which data associated with components involved in an instruction of the prohibition of output of components data by said attribute set up section is deleted.
To achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a second CAD supporting program storage medium storing a CAD supporting program which causes a computer to operate as a CAD supporting apparatus for supporting an assembling of an assembly by a CAD for assembling an assembly constituted of a plurality of components, which creates a geometry of objects, in cooperation with the CAD, when the CAD supporting program is executed in the computer, wherein said CAD supporting program storage medium stores the CAD supporting program comprising:
a text data obtaining section for obtaining text data describing a structure of the assembly; and
a CAD creating section for interpreting the text data obtained by said text data obtaining section, and referring to a database 30 that stores geometry data representative of a geometry of components, to create CAD data of a format suitable for being dealt with in the CAD in accordance with the text data.